Preventative care is the most important part of protecting your teeth and keeping your mouth healthy. It is essential that you brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water keeps the saliva flowing in your mouth which keeps the harmful bacteria moving along. If you regularly visit your dentist, you can stay on top of your professional cleanings. Your dentist can also spot any problems early enough to treat them without an extensive procedure. If decay is caught early enough, it can be reversed. If a cavity is caught at an early stage, it can be treated with a dental filling. If a cavity is left untreated, it can continue to decay into the inner layer of your tooth, the dentin. Once it reaches the dentin, it can cause quite a lot of pain and discomfort. 

A dental filling can stop the decay

Tooth enamel cannot heal on its own. Once a cavity has formed, the decay will continue to erode the enamel eventually reaching the inner part of the tooth. If decay reaches the inner pulp or root canal of a tooth, a root canal treatment would need to be performed to save the tooth. A dental filling can stop the decay at the enamel level before it reaches the depths of the tooth.

What to expect

Your dentist will first numb the area where the filling will take place. He will clean out the cavity removing any bacteria and infected tooth area. The tooth will be fully disinfected.  Then the tooth will then be filled with a composite resin that can be colored to match the color of your teeth. The resin will harden to protect your tooth.

A dental filling can protect your teeth from bigger issues

If you think you may have a cavity, you may need a dental filling. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Huffstutler, call our office in Ft. Worth, TX at 817-918-3038. Our office welcomes patients from all over DFW, including Dallas, North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities.